Town of Newburgh /City of Newburgh - 5/29/2022

I am a Town of Newburgh (TON) resident. The Town of Newburgh is a great place to live and raise a family. The police are well liked and professional. Many Police officers /Firefighters/ civil servants live in this town ,so its relatively safe. The people in the Town of Newburgh (TON) are working class to processionals with college education. There are also Many eateries, hiking and businesses to choose from. I made a great choice in buying a home in this town. The Town of Newburgh leans Republican. The City of Newburgh (CON) is a struggling city with crime issues. The city could be a hidden gem if the politicians let it grow. The city of Newburgh police have their hands full with crime and many residents have problems with the police (hence the crime problem). However, not all is lost in the city, there are still some good spots, like the water front and trendy shops. Gentrification has started in CON and that would be a great start in turning this City around. Seems like Gentrification has started. The City leans heavily left, that needs to change. Thanks for listening, Raul

[Comment on this Posting]

A city struggling to regain its former glory - 7/29/2009

Newburgh, NY was once a glorious small city sitting on the western bank of the Hudson River in the mid-Hudson Valley, just 60 miles north of New York City. It had a diverse industries ranging from clothing manufacturing to a major chemical plant, and US Air Force Base to boost its economy. There were two major downtown shopping districts, located on Water Street and also on Broadway. However, in the 1960s a urban renewal project sent the city careening on a slippery slope. First came the big tear down which resulted in the loss of the Water Street shopping district and changed neighborhoods that were once dominated by homeowners into rental properties, causing a decline in property values. By the time the city finally started to rebuild on the empty project land, many of the middle class residents had escaped to neighboring towns. During this period, the city and its surrounding township, citing their already diverse economy, turned down an opportunity to add another major employer, IBM, to the community. Not long after, the air base was closed and suddenly the city was bleeding jobs as manufacturers moved to areas with fewer taxes and cheaper work forces. Crime began to rise; riots occurred in the city's high school. The remaining downtown shopping district lost ground as consumers turned to suburban stores rather than chance their safety in the declining city. Today the city is struggling to regain it former glory. It began with the development of a riverside restaurant row, city wharf, and park. A major developer took interest in the city and began renovating historic buildings and storefronts. The community college is building a new campus. Artists began moving from NYC to take advantage of the lower housing costs. Crime rates are declining. Newburgh still has a long way to go to regain its former glory, but it is making progress, step by step.

[Comment on this Posting]

Great cost of living - 12/23/2008

Newburgh has very reasonable living costs for homes that would cost millions of dollars anywhere else close to NYC. Just look across the river at Beacon. Now is the time to buy homes. Look for homes near Liberty St, Downing Park, and the hospital. Oh, and anything near the waterfront is beautiful (and more expensive) as well!

[Comment on this Posting]

Enjoy some of the best cultural activities from th - 1/9/2008

Henry Hudson stopped his boat, the Half Moon in Newburgh Bay all those years ago and declared it to be a 'wonderful place for a Town.'Sited along this majestic river and only 70 miles north of New York City,we have always enjoyed the best of living arrangements -- big city culture with country living ease. Now, the area is set to expand with more services, opportunities and fun things to do: Newburgh-Beacon Ferry service to the Metro-North Train station assures fast commutes to Westchester County and NYC. Stewart International Airport finally has E-Z access via I-84 and the New York State Thruway I-87 thanks to a new toll plaza being constructed in 2008. DIA, the acclaimed sculpture museum is 10 minutes away in Beacon. Washington's Headquarters and the last encampment of the Continental Army are located nearby in New Windsor along with the new federally created Purple Heart Museum. Don't miss world-class music at the Woodstock site in Bethel (Sullivan County) at the state-of-the-art performing arts center - Bethel Woods. Add hundreds of more locations to visit, a 4-season climate, mountains,blue skies and wonderful vistas...and it is no wonder that this is a wonderful place for a town. :-)

[Comment on this Posting]

you should get out more often... - 8/21/2007

Newburgh has been going thru a true revitalization for the past 5 years. Much still to do. There are some pockets of poverty, where you'll see the typical issues of crime, drugs, etc. That being said, there are also very well kept areas with beautiful homes, and good hard-working families. Seek and you will find the truth. Look at areas like Hoboken, Williamsburgh, LES, etc., and you'll quickly see the reason why a place like Newburgh is changing and will continue to prosper. If only looking at crime statistics, you'll find the following crime stats: 2000-2001 Newburgh was at a peak in crime with 7 murders that year. Since then, overall crime has gone down. Last year there was 1 murder and so far in 07, none. There has been a strong migration of NYCity folks coming to Newburgh to be part of this growth. Unlike many other areas in NYS with similar issues like Newburgh, the main strong point that makes Newburgh a contender to make it, is it's real estate. Located right on the Hudson, between 2 major thruways, with an intl airport 6 miles away, and a 10 minute ferry ride to the NYC bound trains (80 minutes to GC), it's infrastructure is a major plus. With the addition of a college campus starting next year and a $100million development project for it's waterfront, it's ripe for the picking. I didn't grow up in Newburgh. And to be honest, I'm glad I didnt. I can understand how having lived here in such a depressive environment would make me practically hate the place. But for folks who have seen the revitalization in other areas, they'll quickly see the great value of this area.

[Comment on this Posting]

Job Outlook - 8/2/2007

Newburgh is generally not a favorable environment for job seekers of any age. The Newburgh Enlarged City School District is probably the largest employer in Orange County. New York in generally not private sector employment friendly.

[Comment on this Posting]

The Truth About Newburgh....A Brooklyn tale - 8/8/2006

I make reference to Brooklyn, because I grew up in Brooklyn in the 80s-90s. It was a place littered with issues of crime, poverty and drugs. With the exception of a few areas, a few blocks here and there, I realized very quickly it was a place I needed to leave ASAP. Worst of all, schools were horrible. Teachers that didn't care. Parents that didn't care. A City that didn't care. You look at Brooklyn today, and you see significant changes. A gentrification process has been taking place over the last 5 years. Some see it as good change while others see it as another opportunity for those with money to displace those without it. What can’t be argued is the perception of people for an area that was at one point ‘untouchable’. The real estate market in Brooklyn has boomed in all areas and is mostly unaffordable. Crime and poverty are still significant issues. And worst of all, the right to a solid education in Brooklyn is not available for most, unless you live in a very specific school district or pay top dollar for private schools. As I looked for a place to live with my family, I found Newburgh NY. There was an article in the NYTimes in Nov ’06, which spoke about a revitalization taking place. As we visited the city, we were awed by it’s beauty and history and it’s affordability. You can find a beautiful 1800s home by the waterfront (Hudson River) for 200K+. The same type of home would cost 1MM dollars in some areas closer to NYC. But nothing in life is free, so with this great find, we realized the city had some very deep-rooted issues. Most of these issues have stemmed from poor local government. It’s the same type of plague that affects many of the cities and towns all over the country. This affect had snowballed and formed a depressed city, with high poverty areas that attracted the typical crime and drug infestation alive and well in every city in the world. The irony of it all is that many of these affected areas just happen to be right by the waterfront. So the city’s most valuable asset, its proximity to the river, is also the city’s biggest ‘problem’ area. It’s something the urban renewal real estate tycoons of the 60s didn’t foresee. We on the other hand, see the picture clearly, and currently reside in the City of Newburgh. So why move here? 1 - Historic district – Newburgh has the largest historic district in NY State. It has a number of historic landmarks such as “Washington HQ” – “Dutch Reformed Church” and “Downing Park”, which

[Comment on this Posting]

diversity a plus - 7/23/2006

My experience as a student in Newburgh schools has contributed greatly to my development as a person. What many may not know about Newburgh is that it encompasses both a town (suburban feel, many whites) and a city (inner-city feel, beautiful historic homes, high poverty and everything that goes with poverty, mostly black and hispanic). This makes for an eye-opening education, as the two halves of Newburgh attend the same schools. You want diversity outside of a major city? Here it is. Even the white population is diverse - higher-than-typical percentages of Catholic and Jewish religious observance. Teen moms, Harvard-bound, black, hispanic, italian, jewish, african-american literature class, orchestra, gospel choir, ski team, football team, cosmetology classes, AP classes. Newburgh schools offer their students a real-life education that cannot be demonstrated with test scores or graduation rates. Superficial, small-minded divisions that exist in other towns - jock, geek, cheerleader - fade away and become virtually non-existent as students grapple with bigger issues of life. Newburgh can be gritty, no doubt about it. But it's a real town with real history, and has been independent and unique for a long time. The waterfront area, along the beautiful Hudson River, has had a recent revival, with new high-quality, independent restaurants, drawing people from all over Newburgh back into the city. Nature is nearby - you don't have to go far for a good hike in the Catskills or Shawangunks. But sadly, the big-box retailers have also discovered Newburgh in the past ten years, diminishing its character as each Wal-Mart and Friday's moves in. Home prices have also sky-rocketed in recent years, as all of Orange County becomes more and more a suburb of NYC. But in closure - Forced to relocate several times since living in Newburgh, I seek out the kind of diversity found in Newburgh - that's what I would want for my children's education.

[Comment on this Posting]

Do Yourself a Huge Favor - Don't Move Here - 6/11/2006

I was here in 1995-1998 and perhaps things have changed, but I found Newburgh to be downright scuzzy with absolutely nothing redeeming about it whatsoever. Crime is high, the place is run down, the weather stinks, the people are NOT friendly in the least and it is very expensive to live among all of these crappy characteristics. I have never met anyone who had anything good to say about Newburgh and I beat feet out of there at first opportunity.

[Comment on this Posting]

Too much - 5/6/2006

The cost of living has been rising more and more every year due to the influx of NYC residents. It's cheaper for them to move here and work in the city (higher salaries), but that increases the price of homes and real estate for those who live and work in Newburgh. Average price for a small home with an acre of property will run about $350,000.

[Comment on this Posting]

WARNING Very Expensive Void Surrounded by Rocks... - 3/24/2006

DON'T WASTE BIG BUCKS TO MOVE TO ROCKS! OK I have lived from California to Maine to Key West to Tucson, visited places all over the world, and finally moved to a state, county, and city that are so pathetic in almost every category that I had to post this warning--I have hated every second living in New York, Orange County, and Newburgh. Moving here from Nashville and living across the street from the Mayor of a teenie village has me and my cats and my friend running back anywhere South of New York! Should have stayed in Tennessee. This place easily climbs to the TOP of the worst places I have lived in my life. CLIMATE: It has the beautiful scenic mountains for a few warm months and that's it. The rest of the year all you see is bare sleeping trees amongst the icy rocky slopes because it snows on Thanksgiving and on the first day of Spring too. So, Winter days of 30 degrees are basically 8 months here, so if you like equal seasons then stay South unless you like Winter all the time! STATE: New York has the worst hassle of state laws I have ever witnessed. Getting a driver license or car registration takes so much paperwork with points and you'll just want to keep your old license because a US birth certificate is worth ZERO points here. If you live outside NYC then there are no laws to protect you against fraud and rental slumlords and high taxes for everything. I am used to a good amount of wildlife around the house with lots of birds, but I hung out a bird feeder last summer and have not needed to refill it because even the birds hate this place! COUNTY: OK the Cable TV, Phone, Internet service here has been great and that's the good part. Sleepy little towns with absolutely no character, tiny roads, poor signs, little culture, few activites, little fine dining, nothing special, very boring unless you like staying inside looking out at rocks. Radio? What's that? Barely any radio stations work here, so you better have stallite radio or lots of CDs! Except for the few highways, everything is tiny one-lane roads with no shoulders and the rudest drivers I have ever seen--Yes even worse than Atlanta or Miami or DC easily. The speed limit is 70 everywhere and if you have a BMW you can just cut people off before you go down the mountain. If my work at West Point was not located here, I would think this was just a backneck do-nothing place to go to get away from the hussle and bussle of the Big Apple. Basically a place for NYC folk to live the so-called count

[Comment on this Posting]

Newburgh,N.Y. - 3/1/2006

I have no clue where you get your crime stats about this city(a 2 out of 10),but Newburgh is as close to the old days of Fort Apache Bronx,NY.I would not be caught over there without a 9mm.Newburgh is basically Bronx North.There are drug dealers and prostitutes littered on almost every corner.

[Comment on this Posting]

Not for everyone - 10/6/2005

I have lived in NY my whole life, have traveled extensively. Orange County NY is not for everyone. Very very short summers. Cabin fever is a definite. You can spend weeks were you dont even see your neighbors! Horrible winters. Lovely views and overall safe place to live. But it is getting to be very expensive. Everything is a 20 minute drive away. Hardly no culture, the little that there is is very bohemian, country, redneckish...no technology jobs. Biggest employers are the jails, hospitals, and retail shops. Malls all over the place. If you like the country quite life than it is for you but if you like to have a life and not feel like a hermit. DONT COME HERE!!!

[Comment on this Posting]